The Ministry of Environment has emitted its position on the proposed drastic
reductions in protected park land boundaries and the planned use for these
fragile ecological reserves. Environment Minister Frank Moya Pons had not
responded to press inquiries on the case so far. But now the Ministry of
Environment issued a note, as reported in El Caribe, establishing a position
contrary to the bill that was passed in the Senate. The Ministry states that the
commercialized development and mining projects proposed for these areas could
endanger alimentary safety in the Dominican Republic. The bill was expedited
through the Senate last month and is scheduled for a second reading this week in
the Chamber of Deputies. Both legislative bodies have given the matter unusual
priority on their agenda.
Local and international environmental, tourism and civic society groups are
expected to express their opposition to the bill at a hearing the Chamber of
Deputies agreed to hold today in Congress.
The bill would considerably reduce park area in order to allot their beaches to
touristic development, and other areas for mining development.
The bill also relinquishes certain regulatory roles of the Environment Ministry
in order to assign them to the Tourism Ministry. President Hipolito Mejia has
been a strong supporter of the use of park lands for tourism and mining
development.
An outspoken critic of the bill, FNP deputy Pelegr?n Castillo told El Caribe
newspaper that the rush in passing the bill ?is a clear sign that interest
groups have been working behind scenes.? Furthermore, answering the question
whether the rush is of the legislators or the President himself, Castillo said:
?That will be clarified in time once there is a change in government. The
President is even committing his penal responsibility,? he stated. When asked if
the bill would pass in the Chamber of Deputies, Castillo said that if it passes
it would be revised in the future.